In a past life, Nouf Alali, studied finance in university and worked in an investment companies for 6 years before she decided to leave the corporate world to pursue yoga training, and her journey in the field of health and wellness took off from there. Now Nouf is a mother of three children, a holistic health coach, as well as a yoga teacher. It is clear from her line of work that she loves to help people. She tells us that witnessing people heal and change into a better version of themselves brings her so much joy and motivates her to continue what she does.

Nouf received her health coaching certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2019. As a health coach she helps clients achieve their wellness and health goals; together they explore the best nutrition and lifestyle choices that help people feel their best. She follows a holistic approach, focusing not just on food, but also career, spirituality, relationships, and environment. She believes that each person is unique, in their physical composition, emotional needs and lifestyle and therefore her work with clients is very customized, depending on their goals and their current lifestyle.

Her passion for health and wellness started early in life as Nouf initially got interested in nutrition and diets a couple of decades ago while she was in high school. What started as a desire to lose excess weight turned into a lifelong passion. She started researching and experimenting with the latest theories on food and spending time in the kitchen cooking healthy recipes. From years of studying and more importantly, from personal experience, she realized that the journey of wellness and happiness is an integrative and interconnected process of all aspects of our lives. Nouf strongly believes that “if you’re doing what you love, happy in your relationships, follow a spiritual practice, exercise, and eat the right food for you, this will surely make you happy and well.”

In November 2021, Nouf launched the RESET program, a ten-day anti-inflammatory diet in an E-book form, offered both in English and Arabic. It explains the benefits of the program, contains a list of the foods to eat and to avoid, a self-assessment sheet to monitor symptoms before and after the program, and a list of guidelines that help the client receive the best results from the program. The program also contains a 10-day meal plan, that is optional to follow, and over 30 anti-inflammatory recipes that are great not only during the program, but also delicious and nourishing for the whole family. Upon purchase of the program, she also offers a complimentary session for clients to answer any questions and to make changes to the program, should the need arise. This is just the kick start we all need in the new year to start feeling like the best versions of ourselves!

Nouf explains that “this program helps anyone who suffers from symptoms that we were taught to live with such as fatigue, headaches, bloating, indigestion, constipation, gas, poor sleep, brain fog, and sugar addiction. It also helps to kickstart the process of weight loss and stabilize sugar levels making it suitable for prediabetics. The program is free from gluten, dairy, sugar, grains, caffeine, and GMO food. Some people do it to help cure certain symptoms, and some do it to reset and cleanse the body a few times a year. All clients notice an improvement on a physical level, whether it’s weight loss, improved energy, improved gut health, clearer mind, reduced sugar craving or better sleep. They also become more aware of the effect of food on their physical and mental state. Every client, upon completing the program, becomes more aware of the relationship of daily habits and his state of being, and will continue practicing some habits he picked from the program.”

Nouf uses the same philosophy that she uses with her clients for her kids; educate and empower. She specifically talks about the effect of different foods on the body. She also gets them involved in the kitchen to help cook and bake, and teaches that there is no such thing as bad foods or good foods. It’s the ingredients that make them so. She cooks the usual foods that kids love from scratch, using quality ingredients and healthier cooking methods. When her children go to gatherings and parties, they have the freedom to eat whatever they want, and they do a great job in choosing every unhealthy option! Nouf shares that “life is about balance. And having a positive relationship with food is crucial and it starts at a young age. We don’t use the word diet at home, and we don’t label food. We enjoy what we eat and we’re aware that when we indulge, tomorrow we go back to our normal routine.”

“To achieve and maintain long term health and well-being, one should know that it’s a journey that keeps evolving as the person and his life circumstances change. And this is when the role of a health coach comes into play.” Nouf tells us. We love this since I think we have all experienced how something that worked for us once may not work for us again.

As a health coach, Nouf hasn’t forgotten her yoga. Yoga is an integral part of my daily routine. She tells us that yoga is a philosophy and a way of life and she applies its teachings when working with clients, whether it’s on a physical, emotional, or a mental level. She believes that yoga helps her understand and connect to her clients better and helps them in their health journey.

Nouf shared three tips with us to get us started on our wellness journey immediately:
Practice awareness. Spend a few minutes in the morning breathing, meditating, or practicing yoga. You couldn’t start your day in a better way!

Sleep. Sleep early, ideally by 10pm, and get 7-9 hours of sleep. The quality of your sleep affects your food choices, your energy levels, and your mood the next day.

Learn. Read a book, listen to a podcast/ audio book, or watch a reel or a YouTube video to learn something new every day. It could be something related to health, spirituality, self-development, or a new recipe.

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE
What do you most value about your friends?
Their authenticity.

Which living person do you most admire?
My uncle, Hameed.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
One that comes from within.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Tableware! My weakness.

What is your most treasured possession?
I honestly can’t think of anything tangible that I treasure a lot, because everything is replaceable. Although I can’t possess my family, it’s my greatest treasure.

What is your greatest fear?
Failure

What is your most marked characteristic?
Social and trustworthy.

Which talent would you most like to have?
Not procrastinating!

What is one trait you have that you are most grateful for?
Forgiveness.

What is the human trait you most dislike about others?
Dishonesty.

What is it that you most dislike?
I can’t think of something that I dislike. I’m a go with the flow kind a girl.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Should! And I’m learning to use it less.

What are your favorite words to live by?
Live and let live.

Where would you most like to live?
Anywhere green and close to the beach. With warm weather, all year long. Sounds like the tropics, no?

If you could have any job, what would it be?
A teacher! Which is what I’m doing now, to a certain extent.

What would you consider your greatest achievement?
I had many achievements in my life, on an academic, professional and personal levels. But nothing beats the feeling of having a well-spent day with the family.

What do you hope for the future?
I hope for a future with more awareness. Where people slow down and dedicate time to practice mindfulness. As we become more aware, an internal shift happens. It changes the way we see and treat our bodies, minds, and souls.

Have you been considering taking your health and wellness into your own hands? Well, Nouf Alali can guide you along your journey. Check out her Instagram to learn more about her and her approach towards health coaching @noufalali82 .